Chapter 10: Authentic Leadership and Everyday Leadership as a Model for Gender Equity in Sport Governance and Leadership

At a time when societal issues of inequality and hidden privilege are consistently pervading our media channels, the drive for gender balanced leadership across UK sports organisations has arguably never been more necessary and the importance of effective, relevant development opportunities for women in sport has never been greater. Yet, despite decades of programme interventions from sports councils and other governing organisations providing such development and support for females in the sector, sport in the UK continues to be led predominantly ‘by men, for men’. Drawing on personal experience and relevant research into gender equity in sport, alongside connected doctoral research, this chapter will highlight such inequity and present a case for an alternative approach that challenges the sector to adopt a different perspective on gender inequity in sport. The benefits of a more diverse and balanced workforce will only be achieved when the cultures throughout sport are truly inclusive and embrace difference. In a world where change is an inevitable part of everyday life, readers will be encouraged to contemplate how they can play their part in delivering the range of solutions required for creating the inclusive environments that will actively enable women to take their places alongside men and be recognised as authentic, capable and effective leaders.